Mending Wounds
by Harry and James
Summary: There are only so many things you can give in life; yourself being one of them. Slight AU. GaaraLee.


**Mending Wounds**  
**Status**: Unknown  
**By**: Hyatt Insomnia and Jade Maxwell  
**Pairings**: Gaara/Lee and a little itty bit of Neji/Tenten later on.  
**Disclaimer**: We do not own, nor will we ever own Naruto or the characters within.  
**Warning**: Shonen-ai (at the very least) between Gaara and Lee, angst and a whole lot of it, slight romance, confusion, possible blood, possible lime aspects, out of character at points, and slightly AU. If any of these offend you in any way, shape, or form please do not bother to inform us.  
**Notes**: If you have read our profile, you will know that we are the type of people that like to write odd or random couples that might not make sense at times. So, this is our story and we finished at least this part in one night.  
**Summary**: There are only so many things you can give in life; yourself being one of them.  


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If he was actually able to care enough, he would have noticed how utterly cold it was in the infirmary. Usually he was very perceptive to anything below 80 degrees, being from a burning hot desert and all. Right now though, he was concentrated solely on Rock Lee: the guy who came the closest anyone has before to beating him.

Gaara scowled and stepped up to the white curtains shrouding the bed Lee was on. He was here on a personal mission. He was itching to kill the guy. His teal eyes burning a rarely seen hatred into the obviously well used curtains. He couldn't place why it was so important that he make sure Lee was never around to try and beat him again; all he knew was that the guy had broken through his defenses and even managed to touch him.

Absently he ran a knuckle over his cheek; it was tingling where Lee's fist had slammed into his face. Not exactly painful; just tingling, as if his body was registering the power in Lee's body. With a deeply agitated growl he slipped through the curtains. 

Lee had been unable to sleep that night. For some reason he had found the infirmary unbearably hot. Maybe it was because he wasn't too physically well at the moment, or maybe it was because he was aching to go outside but had to lie in the bed all day and all night while his body mending. Whatever the reason it was, he felt like he was suffocating. 

Images of the fight before were constantly playing in his mind, with all of the crazed expressions that had appeared on Gaara's face came along with them. He hated having to relive those events over and over again. He had tried so hard to win but it seemed as if Lee's best just hadn't been enough. _He_ wasn't enough to defeat Gaara. Those thoughts were asphyxiating. All of that hard work and what did it do for him? Absolutely nothing.

He wanted to get out of that bed. He wanted to train and do so much harder than he had done so in the past. He wanted to become stronger. No; he _needed_ to become stronger. But how was that possible? Lee had already pushed himself as hard as he could before and yet, look where it got him. Now instead of training and becoming stronger in order to prove that hard work pays off all that he could do was lie there and stare at the ceiling. 

A small sigh escaped Lee's lips as he let his eyes slip shut for a moment. At the very least he wished that he had some company but it seemed as if everyone had something else to do. 

As if on cue, as those very thoughts ended, Gaara walked through the curtains. Lee's eyes snapped open upon hearing the sound of the other male's entrance, looking the direction in which it had come from. His breath caught in his right then. At that moment, he didn't know whether he should be glad or afraid.

Teal met round black orbs, eyes that were seamlessly connected to black pupils. Gaara was caught in those eyes, there was some deep rooted pain just barely veiled behind a foreign emotion Gaara had never experienced before. It wasn't even one emotion, it was like holding cut crystal up to the sun and watching the rainbows swirl everywhere. That display of unconscious emotion stopped him. His hand fell to his side lifelessly and the other hand he had wrapped around his waist tightened. The tingling in his cheek intensifying under that black gaze.

The makeshift room made of billowing curtains and too much white was charged with something that had driven them in their fight. Gaara wasn't sure if it was hatred, pain, or power. Maybe it was all three…

Carefully Gaara blinked, breaking that odd connection. Then he glared, causing his eyebrow ridges to knot together.

"Do you know why I'm here?" His voice was tinged with something indescribable. Something he vaguely remembered feeling when he was a young child.

More silence while Gaara looked at Lee; not an assessing look, not even a devoid look, it was the look of someone trying to figure something out.

As soon as that question came from Gaara's lips, Lee diverted his gaze to the ceiling above. Truthfully there could be many reasons why the other could've chosen to show up there. However, going over them was quite pointless. There was only one reason that seemed likely. He let the question hang on the air, waiting until it was just as suffocating as it was before Gaara had entered until Lee finally spoke.

"I expect you've come to kill me," he answered simply. It was simply amazing how easily the words had rolled off of his tongue, like they were nothing at all, just simple words. They were words that should've been much harder to say than they were, but really, could they ever be? There was no point in saying otherwise. Lee expected that he would be dying soon enough. He was in no condition to defend himself and even worse off with someone as strong as Gaara. 

Gaara had suspected that Lee knew why he was there. This young man on the cusp of becoming a full man seemed the type to know these things. He stared down at the face tilted up. How had it felt for him to say something like that so simply? Did it hurt for him to know that he was going to die? Or did he just not really care? Was he becoming like…like Gaara?

The red-head didn't like that thought at all. He didn't want another him in this world. Yet, what could he do to make that passion from all the matches before come back? That fire that seemed to make his black eyes melt and seep down his face like the tears of women that wear too much kohl. Gaara blinked. Why did he even care so much?

So, for a long moment Gaara stood where he had entered from, trying to unsuccessfully drag his eyes away from the pale figure. Finally, when Lee's eyes didn't meet his again he stepped up to the edge of the bed.

"You don't care?" What else was there for him to say? Why should he have even cared that Lee didn't seem to mind?

He blinked slowly, and he knew it was because someone with enough spirit and passion to fight the way he did should never give up like this.

Even as Gaara approached the bed Lee didn't take his eyes away from the ceiling. It was only when those three simple words reached his ears that he turned his head back towards the red-head, staring rather blankly for a moment before smiling. "I do care. No one ever really wants to die," Lee replied simply, "but that doesn't really change the outcome of what's going to happen, does it? You're going to kill me and I know it, so it's pointless to pretend that I don't know. Don't you agree?"

Lee stopped for a moment, looking thoughtful before speaking up again. "If I could fight back if I would, but as it is, I can't really move. Do you think there's anyway I could talk you out of it?" He smiled lightly. Part of him knew that it would be pointless to try and reason with Gaara, but that didn't mean that it would hurt to try. He didn't want to die. There was still so much to do, so much he wanted to prove. He wanted to live in order to defeat Neji. He wanted to live to prove that hard work could defeat genius. Yet, could that ever really happen?

"There's someone I still want to defeat," he added softly after a moment more of silence, "I wouldn't be satisfied with dying now."

"Why can't you move?" It was obviously not meant to be the first thing out his mouth and the moment he said it he was agitated. He hated this guy; he wanted him dead. So why, why was he standing here, gazing at him and asking him why he couldn't move? Why was he asking him anything?

Gaara, by, now should have killed him already. He should be watching Lee's blood drip off his hands and then licking it off slowly. He should be marveling at what Lee tasted like. Instead, he was standing here looking down at him.

When Lee's mouth opened to say something he held up a hand. "No, that's not what I wanted to know about. I don't care why you can't move." He crossed his arms again, his scowl returning.

"Tell me, what could you offer me that would save your life? Many before you have offered money, which I have no use for; power which I have; fame that does not appease to me. So what could you offer to me that would help let you live at least a little bit longer?" Gaara tightened his hands into fists as he asked it.

The first question caused Lee to blink a few times. Was it not obvious why he couldn't move? He would expect at least Gaara to know why. Then again, it wasn't as if he really _couldn't_ move; it was more than he couldn't move enough. He gave a slight twitch of annoyance when He opened his mouth to answer but was silenced by Gaara holding up his hand.

What came next caused Lee to blink once again. That was something that he really hadn't thought about even though he would've offered none of the things that Gaara had mentioned. It wasn't as if he had those things to offer anyways. There was so little other he had to offer. That was if he had anything at all. At least, something that Gaara would want. 

But what would someone like Gaara want? You couldn't tell just by the way he acts if there was something that he wanted, or even really needed and Lee certainly hadn't spoken to the other enough to be able to tell based on what Gaara said. Really, he only had one thing to offer and whether or not the red-head would actually accept was beyond him. 

"I can offer you myself," Lee replied, once again feeling as if those words should've been harder to say than they were, but still they effortlessly passed by his lips. The oddest thing about it was: he didn't seem to mind the thought about giving himself to Gaara. He could practically hear the scolding words coming from Tenten's mouth were he to ever say such a thing aloud. 

Gaara wanted to do many things when those words slid almost soundlessly into the air. He wanted to react violently and just put an end to the man's life already. Then he wanted to, of all the crazy things, lean down and kiss him. The crazy thing being that it would have been his first kiss. And lastly, he wanted to feel what others call sadness for this once bright spirit just seemingly giving himself away.

Suddenly, he made his decision. The sand gourd that was hardly off his back came off. It hit the floor heavily, making both of them blink at the intrusion at the strange silence. Then he leaned down, his lips brushing Lee's ear.

"Well, I would never have expected that…" Then he tilted his head back up to meet those eyes, trying to catch the spirit. Slowly, keeping his teal eyes locked with Lee's, he swept his lips over Lee's. "You're mine…" He whispered harshly. Wanting to be cruel he glared and said. "You're mine and only mine until I kill you or set you free, understand?"

The sand gourd dropping to the ground was something most unexpected that not only did Lee blink in response, but he jumped lightly. If that was a good or a bad sign was beyond him. It only became more confusing as Gaara leaned in letting his lips graze the skin of his ear. Lee couldn't help but shiver at the contact. He couldn't decipher what it meant for he figured that Gaara could be one that would like to play with his victims. Yet the words that fell from the red-heads mouth made it clear that he was accepting his offer. 

Lee gazed back into those emotionless teal eyes as Gaara tilted his head, brushing his lips over the black-haired male's own. He shivered a second time at the contact. It was in a way like a ghost hovering teasingly over his skin and yet it was so clearly there. And the words that followed the action were haunting. Lee suspected that he would be hearing them echo inside of his mind relentlessly for the rest of his life. The held a twinge of most unexpected possessiveness that almost caused his eyes to widen in response. He somehow managed to hold himself in check.

"I understand," Lee finally said after a lingering moment of silence. In that moment he couldn't help but wonder: why didn't this feel wrong? He was giving himself away, something that he would've never found plausible to do before. Yet he really had nothing else to lose right then. Even though he knew that his fighting spirit would soon enough rekindle itself, just as his body would heal and he would be back to his normal self, he couldn't think of a good reason for not doing this. There was just some sort of a strange magnetic attraction that made Lee wonder what would happen if he did. And need be maybe, just maybe, after he healed he could become strong enough to get himself out of this. 

All he had needed was the flash of spirit lighting his eyes again and he leaned down and kissed the tip of Lee's eyelashes. He stood gracefully up and leveled a cool stare at the other young man.

"Good, glad you do. Now rest up I'll be back again…" He picked his gourd up, not bothering to strap it back on. Then, without really thinking about it, he leaned down and captured Lee in a deep, possessive kiss that was as exciting as killing Lee.

And before Lee could say anything, Gaara slipped out the curtains. His feet silent on the infirmary floor.


End file.
